MCCS Sports Branch 2018 Women s Intramural Softball Bylaws

Transcription

1 MCCS Sports Branch 2018 Women s Intramural Softball Bylaws Governing Bodies The current edition of the USA Softball, formerly Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA) rules for 2018 will govern the league and tournament play except as modified in this document. This set of Bylaws is not all-encompassing for the rules and regulations that govern the MCCS Lejeune-New River Intramural Program. All Intramural participants are responsible to read and understand the current edition of the Lejeune-New River Sports Handbook which contains pertinent information regarding coaches, team formation, eligibility requirements, Code of Conduct/Ethics, sanctions, grievances, and other important information about the Intramural program. Coaches All teams will be coached by a Staff NCO or above (unless the team is comprised of all civilians); the head coach acts as a direct representative for their respective team for the duration of the season. Please refer to the Sports Handbook page 6 for the full description of Coaches responsibilities. Eligibility All players must be active duty, retirees, dependents 18 years of age and out of High school, or authorized DOD civilians. All participants must be able to provide proof of eligibility if requested, i.e.: military/mccs ID/DoD ID. Participants may NOT be sponsored into the league; each participant MUST possess their own privilege ID card. All civilian participants must have a signed waiver of liability on file before their first game to participate in the league. Please see the Intramural Handbook page 4-6 for complete guidelines. Season Games will be held at the Goettge Memorial Field House field complex for the duration of the season. Games will be played in rain; games may be cancelled or rescheduled for lighting, thunderstorms, and severe weather conditions only. The Sports Office will do its best to cancel games prior to game time when the weather is obviously bad; however, games may be cancelled at the field if the weather appears it may break or be light enough to play. Rosters Allocations Teams may carry a maximum of seventeen (17) players on the roster. Coaches are required to update and submit to the appropriate Sports Coordinator rosters noting any changes prior to their next scheduled game. Failure to submit required rosters may result in forfeiture of games. Rosters may be submitted to the Sports Coordinator s Office (Goettge Memorial Field House Bldg. 751) by hand or ed to the Sports Coordinator at: Antonio.warner@usmc-mccs.org. Team Formation, Regulations and Requirements Please refer to the Intramural Handbook pages 4-6 for full details on Regulations and Requirements of registering teams. All teams must meet the published guidelines to register for the league.

2 Equipment Bats Players may use any bat that is USA Softball regulation; bats must have a visible USA Softball/ASA stamp to be authorized for game play and be listed on the 2018 legal bat list. A list of legal and illegal bats can be obtained from the USA Softball website: Please see Bats Section on page 4 for further guidance on bats. The sports office will supply one (1) women s bat to each team for those who do not have a bat or wish to use the purchased bat. The bats will be brought to the field and taken after the games by the Sports Staff. Balls Each game will receive one (1) new balls one for each game, for use during game time. Teams are not authorized to keep game balls after games. Uniforms Uniforms are available for issue from the Sports Office if the command/team requests use of uniforms. Teams must wear shirts or jerseys of matching color with a highly visible number on the back. Sponsorships of any kind, obvious, implied, or silent, are prohibited; please refer to the Intramural Handbook pages 5-6 for complete details on the availability and guidelines of uniforms. Game Policies Line Ups All lineups are due five (5) minutes before game time to the official scorekeeper. Players Both teams must field at least eight (8) players to begin a game. Teams must maintain eight (8) players for the duration of the game; teams may not compete with less than eight (8) players. Teams failing to maintain the minimum number of players for the duration of the game will be charged a forfeit. Illegal Players Any team found to have an illegal player will automatically forfeit any game where that player was on the books or can be proven they participated in the game illegally. Duration Games will be seven (7) innings with a one (1) hour time limit. No new innings will be started after 55 minutes. The listed Home Team will always have the last at-bat, unless they are winning after the top of the last inning. The Home team will reside on the third base line for all games. Sliding Sliding feet first into second and third base, and home plate is allowed. Diving or sliding head first into any base is not allowed for safety precautions and will result in the runner being called out. Players turning to return to the base after a chase down, tag up, etc. are permitted to reach out in front of them in a forward outstretched motion in an attempt to reach the bag. Bating & Bat Control For safety precautions, batters are expected to keep control of the bat after making contact with the ball, missing a pitched ball, and/or in the midst of a swing. Batters who fail to keep control of their bat, throw their bat after a swing or hit ball, or otherwise lose control of the bat during their at-bat may be called out for safety precaution or interference reasons. Umps may choose to give a first warning, but players may be called out on the first offense with no warning if the act was deemed flagrant, or posed a safety risk.

3 Courtesy Runners/Pinch Runners Courtesy runners are allowed for purposes of injury or mobility restrictions and must be declared to the officials and opposing team prior to the player s at bat. The batter must legally advance to first base on their own before a courtesy runner may be called in. The courtesy runner called in must be the last out on the books. Courtesy runners do not count as official substitutions and the original batter will return to their fielding position. Courtesy runners are not allowed for reasons outside of injury or mobility restrictions that cause a player the inability to advance themselves around the bases (ie: a courtesy runner cannot be called in just because they are a faster runner than the batter). Pinch runners may be called in in cases of injury en route to first base where the batter cannot advance around the bases nor return to their fielding position. These cases will be cause for official substitutions. Stealing and Advancing There is no stealing in this league. Runners may advance bases on overthrows without penalty. Overthrows that enter the dugouts or leave the field of play may allow runners to advance to the next base they are approaching. If a player is in front of the next approaching base, the runner must stop at that base. Players may not advance on wild pitches. In-Field Pop Fly Rule This league will NOT adhere to the in-field pop fly rule traditionally observed and called in slow pitch softball leagues. Outs on Third Strike Fouls This league will NOT adhere to the out on a third strike foul traditionally observed in slow pitch softball leagues. Legal Games and Make Ups A game will be considered a legal game, and the score will stand as is, if the game has gone at least four (4) innings or 35 minutes. In the event of weather related cancelations during game time, the remainder of the game will not be made-up and the score will stand as is if the game has met the legal game minimum. Exceptions: --if the game is tied when called; --or has not met the legal game minimum; --or if the home team is behind in runs and has not had or finished their at-bat for the inning, The game will resume in the position it was called off and played from that spot forward. If the home team is ahead at the time the game is called, the score will stand as is. Games cancelled prior to game time due to weather related issues will only be made up as time and season scheduling allows. Cancelled games are not guaranteed to be rescheduled. Timeouts Timeouts will not be called by teams except in the case of injury or medical attention. Officials may call timeouts for official reasons and rulings. Overtime If a tie stands at the end of regulation, complete innings will be played until a winner is determined, up to three (3) innings. The listed Home Team will always have the last at-bat, unless they are winning after the top of the inning. If the game remains tied after the three (3) extra innings, the game will be called and recorded as a tie. Mercy Rule Mercy Rule will be in effect for the duration of the season as follows: if a team leads by fifteen (15) or more runs after the third inning OR if a team leads by ten (10) or more runs after the bottom of the fourth or fifth inning (15/3 10/5 rule), the game will be called and the score will stand.

4 If the home team reaches the Mercy Rule limits at any time during their at-bats in the specified innings, the game will be called with the run that placed them at the Mercy Rule limit. Additional runs scored in the same at-bat will not be counted toward the score (example: the score is 1-10 in favor of the batting team; a homerun drives in three additional runs for the winning team; the final score will read 1-11, not 1-13). Retrieving Balls The team at bat is responsible to retrieve all balls hit foul, homerun, or otherwise. Bats Players may use any current, legal, USA Softball/ASA bat; the ASA stamp must be clearly visible to the checking official (ie: a faint or non-distinguishable stamp will not be considered adequate proof of USA Softball/ASA certification). Teams will be required to supply their choice of four (4) bats for inspection by the opposing team and the official at the coaches meeting prior to the start of the game. Once the bats are approved, they must remain in the bat holder outside the dugout; additional bats may NOT be added after the game has started. Suspected violations must be called and addressed by the head coach at the time of the suspected infraction. The official s ruling on an illegal bat is final and cannot be appealed. A complete list of legal, illegal, previously/but no longer legal, and grandfathered bats is available on the USA Softball s official website: Dugout Rules Coaches, players and statisticians are the only persons permitted to sit in the dugout. All others will have seating available on the bleachers and ground areas. Children (of any age), family members, spectators, etc. are not allowed in the dugouts for any purpose. Teams will be given one warning during the season to adhere to the policy; a second offense may result in a forfeiture for the offending team. Children are not allowed into the dugout under any circumstances, supervised or otherwise. **Children, regardless of age or restrain in a child seat, play pen, or otherwise, are NOT allowed in the dugouts for any reason- no exceptions. Children MUST be supervised by a responsible party at all times while on the premises; parents are not considered to be supervising children while/if participating during game time. Batting Each player will start with a 1-1 count. Homerun Rule- Three (3) successive (over the fence) homeruns are permitted per team; any homerun hit after the three will be an automatic OUT, EXCEPT: o Once each team has hit 3 homeruns, legal homeruns may be hit in accordance with the ASA 1-up Rule. EXAMPLE: Home team hits 3 HR. Once the Visitors hit their 3 rd HR, they may also hit 1 MORE home run to go 1-up, making the home run count 4-3. *In a 1-up Rule, either team may be one additional home run up from the opponent s number of home runs o The home team cannot go one up in the bottom of the 7th inning. They may only tie the number of Home runs. This rule applies only to the 7 th inning. EXAMPLE: The home team is down 9-10 in the bottom of the 5th with 4 minutes left in the game. Home runs are tied 4-4. The home team can hit a home run to go one up because if they tied the game it would not be over. o If the ball proceeds over the fence as the result of a fielding error/mistake (ie: ball bounces off fielder s glove and over fence, etc.), that run will not be counted as part of the Home Run rule limit The batter who has just hit a homerun must touch at least first base. However, any other player(s) on base at the time of the homerun must complete their rounds to all bases. The hitting team is responsible for retrieving the balls, whether homerun or foul

5 Forfeits Grace Period Game time is forfeit time. Teams failing to have the proper number of players at game time will be charged a forfeit. Forfeited games will not be rescheduled or made-up. Forfeit for Behavior It is the direct responsibility of the head coach to control their team; failure to control their actions, speech, and attitudes may result in the head officials right to terminate the game and charge the offending team with a forfeit. Sanctions for Forfeits Any team charged a forfeit during the duration of the scheduled league, for a no-show or punitive forfeit, will not be eligible for the post season Championship tournament, regardless of the team s league standing or record. Two forfeitures during a season may result in the removal of the team from the league. Scores for Forfeits Forfeited games will be recorded as a 14-0 score. Protests Protests of USA Softball rules will not be recognized. Grievance Written grievances may be submitted by the head coach to the Sports Office within 24 hours for circumstances not generally covered in the rules or matters that do not include an officials ruling. Acceptable grounds for grievances include, but are not limited to: illegal player concerns, performance of the officiating crew, ejections, technical/yellow card fouls, etc. Submissions must be specific in nature and not generalizations such as they stunk or poor calls. Code of Conduct The Code of Conduct/Ethics applies to all parties relative to all athletic programs, facilities, and personal interactions and communications; this may be applied in addition to penalties assessed to ejected players, coaches, and spectators. OFFENSE ACTION(S) LENGTH OF SANCTION(S) SANCTION(S) LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3.1 Excessive Profanity Taunting/ Baiting (first offense) Argumentative/Unruly Behavior Failure to comply after Warning Other Offenses deemed Level 1 Verbal Abuse Inciting unruly behavior Taunting/ Baiting (second offense) Abuse/Damage to Property Failure to comply with Smoking/Tobacco/Alcohol Policy Other offenses deemed Level 2 Fighting/ Violence Verbal/Written Threats One (1) week Two (2) weeks One (1) Year from site; plus one week ban from all Intramural programs, activities, and facilities. from site; plus two week ban from all Intramural programs, activities, and facilities from site; plus

6 No Tolerance LEVEL 3.2 No Tolerance Belligerence Racial Slurs or degrading comments Possession/Use of illegal drugs Other offenses deemed Level 3.1 Assaulting a patron, official or staff member Weapons Possession/Use Other offenses deemed Level 3.2 Two (2) years sanctions according to severity of offense.* from site; plus 2 year ban from all division programs, activities and facilities (possible criminal offense per state statute)* *This chart in not all-encompassing of the MCCS Lejeune-New River Code of Conduct. Please refer to the Intramural Handbook, pages for complete details on the Code of Conduct/Ethics, sanctions and appeal rights. All participants are responsible to know the Code of Conduct in its entirety. Championships Championship Tournaments and awards are conducted on an As Available basis provided funding, time, space and scheduling is available. Championship tournaments and awards are not guaranteed. Teams may not use a reserve team/players for championship series games; all players must meet the one-third rule, please refer to the Intramural Handbook page 4-5 for full details. In the event of a tie leading into the Championships series, the Sports Office reserves the right to break the tie in a manner deemed appropriate and fair under the circumstances. The governing body (ie: NCAA, NIRSA, etc), rules for such occurrences may not always be the means utilized to break the tie. Dress Code Player equipment Shoes: all players must wear closed-toed shoes. Rubber molded cleats are authorized (metal or screw in spikes are NOT authorized). Uniforms: all field players shall have matching uniforms. In the event that teams have conflicting (same/similar) colors, the home team will change jerseys. All participants are expected to abide by the base dress code set forth in BO1020.8y Dtd 04 JAN Sports require additional measures for safety and equality: Elastic headbands are authorized. No rigid plastic headbands or headbands with ornamental objects are allowed. No Jewelry. Sweat bands are allowed. No shorts with pockets. All t-shirts worn under jersey must be the same color as the team jersey. Jerseys must remain tucked in. Sponsorships of any kind, obvious, implied, or silent, are prohibited. Teams may NOT include any type of business, personal, commercial, corporate, occupational, or otherwise, information on their uniforms, equipment, beverage containers (water bottles, etc), etc. This includes but is not limited to: any type of advertising, marketing, publicizing, contact information, business names, logos, etc. Teams will be warned and asked once to cover any suspected or apparent materials of this nature. A second offense may cause a team to be removed from the league. The Sports Office reserves the right to assess teams for compliance with sponsorship guidelines and assure adherence. Compliance and enforcement requirements of this nature may not be appealed.

7 Alcohol, Drugs & Tobacco Policy The use of any form of tobacco, (including e-cigarettes) drugs, or alcohol during MCCS Sports activities is prohibited. This policy applies to all participants, coaches, officials, spectators, and all others involved in the program. There is a zero tolerance policy for alcohol and drugs present at any intramural event in accordance with MCIEAST-MCB CAMLEJO Head Coaches are held responsible for their team s adherence to this order. Pet Policy In accordance with MCIEAST-MCB CAMLEJO domestic animals are not permitted at MCCS organized activities. Service dogs permitted in accordance with applicable laws. Military Commitments & Reschedules Games will be considered for rescheduling only in the case that the conflict is a mandatory Unit Function such as mandatory field exercises, briefings, etc. that requires Active Duty be present. Games will not be considered for rescheduling because of personal or inter-team issues such as leave/vacation, social engagements, etc. Rescheduling requests need to be addressed with the Sports Office as soon as a conflict is recognized. Notifications of scheduling conflicts are to be addressed in writing before the scheduled game and failure to notify the Sports Office in advance may result in forfeiture of the missed game. Rescheduling requests will be considered if the subject game could influence the league standings. If the subject game will not influence league standings, the game may or may not be rescheduled based on the availability of scheduling, space, staffing, and in cooperation with the opposing team. The Sports Office reserves the right to alter, change, or adjust the format or schedule of a league, tournament, or other scheduled activity in cases where it is deemed necessary or essential to the continuation or completion of the program for any reason. Sports Office Contact Goettge Memorial Field House, Bldg. 751 McHugh Blvd. O: F: Documents and Forms: